Bites from other Blogs

Sufganiyot are small, fried donuts filled with jam that are traditionally served for Hannukah. The Orange-Scented Sufganiyot from Elra look like a great twist on a holiday staple. The yeast donuts are laced with orange juice and scented with orange zest before bring fried, then are filled with preserves – apricot is a nice match, but something with orange is even better to carry the theme – before being served. They should be served while they are still fresh and warm so that you can really enjoy the crisp exterior and sweet, jam-filled interior.

Eggnog is a popular drink that people stock up on over the holidays, but it is also a great ingredient to bake with because it delivers a lot of flavor and can be used much the same way that regular milk can be. Pip & Ebby had a great idea for how to put some eggnog to good use in Eggnog Nutella Ice Cream. The ice cream is made with eggnog and sweetened condensed milk, which both help to give it a wonderful sweetness and creamy texture. Nutella is melted and swirled through the ice cream after it has been churned, adding a little chocolate and a little extra decadence.

Another eggnog dessert idea is the Eggnog Cake with Pink Marshmallow Frosting from Sprinkle Bakes. The cake looks dreamy, with its billowing marshmallow frosting and winter wonderland decorations. Fortunately, the post includes instructions on how to decorate so your cake will look just as beautiful. The cake itself is a butter cake with eggnog in it. The frosting is vanilla flavored and a nice, light contrast to the ‘nog-spiked cake.

Blueberry Octopie made a Cranberry Ice Cream with Cinnamon and Brandy that also looks like a great holiday dessert option. It has a lovely dark red color and the flavors in it are perfect for winter. The ice cream has a custard base that is made with plenty of eggs and lots of whole, fresh cranberries that give it its color and its flavor. A generous amount of brandy not only flavors the ice cream, but actually helps keep it creamy after freezing. You might want to serve this ice cream alongside a slice of apple pie, though you could also drizzle a little brandy over the top of it for a very grown up holiday dessert.

For those of you planning to decorate some sugar cookies this weekend before Christmas, you might want to take a look at Sweetopia‘s Christmas Tree Cookie Tutorial. Not only will you find recipe for basic sugar cookies that are great for decorating, but you will get a very detailed demo that shows you exactly how to create some lovely holiday cookies. The frosting technique produces a fluffy tree that looks even more impressive than most holiday cookies, and the method is easier than you might think. You could also use the piping technique to add details to other cookies, like gingerbread men.